John's attitude left the other two momentarily silenced.
If he had been more assertive from the start, or indifferent, they might have found a solution.
But now, his demeanor complicated matters for both of them.
"What's the matter? You three don't seem to be having a good time," said a familiar voice.
As they all instinctively looked towards the source, a black mist slowly materialized and drifted to the opposite couch.
John, sitting beside it, couldn't help but probe the fog with his mind power, only to find it impenetrable.
He had tried before, but being so close today, he wanted to test it again.
Still, the outcome was the same as before; the contents of the mist remained elusive.
He suspected that this was no ordinary mist, perhaps not even a mist at all but a mere distraction, with nothing human within.
Regardless, this entity had indeed helped him, and the boss surely harbored other motives.
Whatever those were, John decided, would be a question for another time.
"No, we were just having a spirited discussion. This young man's demands were indeed beyond our expectations, and we certainly didn't anticipate his interest in information from the Immortality Organization, right, boss?"
Francis said, his gaze unconsciously shifting into the black mist as he broached the topic, seemingly eager to gauge the boss's reaction.
However, the boss merely chuckled lightly, then his mist transformed into a tendril that plucked a grape from the fruit platter and delicately peeled it.
"This matter has nothing to do with me. If you think it's inappropriate, just discuss it further. I'm merely here to watch the drama unfold."
The expressions on their faces shifted.
They had assumed that John had the boss's backing to behave as he did, but the boss's remark today suggested otherwise.
Did this mean that the boss wasn't particularly concerned about John's situation?
Or was this all just for show?
After all, they had seen how the boss had previously indulged John and had his back; it seemed unlikely that he would suddenly disregard him.
Thus, the only possibility was that the boss did care about John, but all this was a performance for their benefit.
With this understanding, many things became clearer.
Benjamin's expression turned sour as he rebuked Francis for so carelessly giving away the information.
Francis let out a cold laugh, "Do you really think that under those circumstances, even if we hadn't offered, he wouldn't have demanded it? Do you truly believe that man is as simple as he appears?"
If it were that simple, why would the boss come out explicitly to support him? They could have firmly refused to give anything, but then the boss intervened.
What does that imply?
It means the boss is in league with him, and everything they've done so far was just for show.
"Even so, we shouldn't have given it. What if people from the Immortality Organization find out it was us who provided the information? That would be a different story."
The Immortality Organization has been a formidable force for many years, largely due to their significant power, and most importantly, they have a so-called Godson!
If it were just a matter of facing another organization, they wouldn't be afraid; after all, they too have held their ground for many years.
But this supposed Godson has the ability to communicate with the divine.
In some respects, he is already beyond them.
If that person really starts communicating with the divine, they have absolutely no ground to resist.
It's not just about giving face to the organization; it's about giving respect to this so-called Godson!
Their passivity isn't due to anything else but because they harbor other considerations.
"We've merely handed out some documents, and we agreed to the terms fair and square. Even if word gets out, nobody can fault us."
"But what if someone uses this information to do something? What does that have to do with us? The Immortality Organization isn't exactly clean themselves."
"If a problem does arise, we might even get a piece of the action."
Benjamin was initially stunned, then his smile grew especially bright.
He understood why Francis had said that; some things really weren't as straightforward as they thought.
But what of it?
As long as they could gain something from it, that was enough.
As for who ends up at a loss or who pays the price behind the scenes, that has nothing to do with them.
"Brother, you always think ahead," Benjamin said, grinning broadly, while Francis's face regained its composed smile.